[headlesspiderman]

I am new to this place and I am looking for information. I will state a bit about myself. I have basically been me extreme highs not sleeping for a week or sleeping only 2-3 hours on any given day for as long as I can remember. Sometimes it seems like the only time I get to actually sleep is once my brain decides to crash like an overloaded computer. My mother was bipolar she has passed away so I can't really ask her any questions about it. I know was not being properly treated for the illness because she had other illnesses such as heart and cirrhosis of the liver. She wasn't able to receive treatment like mood stabilizers but the doctors gave her Paxil and eventually changed to Zoloft. I do not think either of the medications actually did her any good she always seemed in hypomanic mood or very depressed.

Anyways the symptom that I have had are mania, hypomania, mixed episodes, and depression I have always thought they were a part of being normal and it was just me. I did not know it was a disease. I have never taken anything stronger as far as medication goes than Ibuprofen for my headaches and neck pain. In January of this year I had a really bad week worrying about things from work and panic fast heart beating, sweaty palms, and pale skin. For about a week or a little more I didn't sleep. My mind was awake but my body wanted to shut down. Luckily the school I work at has a Dr. that I went to visit. He gave Diazepam to sleep I can tell you I took 10mg and I hadn't slept like that since I was a baby quiet and the noise from brain mess none existent I even felt more at ease being around other people.

Where I live now I could afford to go to a neurologist who then sent me to a psychiatrist. This psychiatrist has been really nice he first told me that I had Panic Disorder and put me on Prozac 20 mg which I know is a low dose but it sent me into hypomania for about 3 weeks before I saw him again. He said the medication was working, but gave me Ativan .5 mg as said that should help me to sleep it did not help and it was more like sticking candy under your tongue. As I have said, I had no experience with any of these kinds of medications I was told Prozac would take 4-8 weeks to work and figured the same with the Ativan. Anyways I spent 3 weeks taking the medication and quit after I started seeing people or shadows passing me and having auditory hallucinations of people calling my name when nobody else was around. Immediately, went into mania mode for 5 days I didn't sleep until my next appointment.

During this next appointment he started me off on Zoloft and Stelazine with Xanax. He told me that all the experiences that I had were just from the medication itself. Again the first 2 or 3 weeks taking Zoloft I didn't sleep again I was in hypo mode. I cycled out by the time I went to see him again at the end of May he just gave me 2 months supply of medication since it would be 2 month again before we could meet. During that time I went into mania 2 times which lasted about 2-3 days each because I had to travel from Asia to America and back again during this time I don't sleep on airplanes.

Upon returning I set up an appointment with the doctor he gave me the same medication Zoloft and Xanax with 20 mg Ambien to sleep. Four about 4-5 days I actually slept, but once my job got crazy stressful is the Ambien felt more like eating candy that made me feel wired. At this point I asked the doctor what my prognosis was and he said uni-depression. Another week went by and I got worse since I was sleeping and the weeping madness shaking took over I was scared. This time he gave me half of some sleeping medication with for the remaining month made my eyes bulge outward uncontrollably and made me into a sleepless walking zombie.

In September I went again the first of the month to visit him and discussed the side effects of the Zoloft and I was gaining weight. This time he gave me another antidepressant Valdoxan. I think it might be a great drug but it wasn't for me 4 days after I started taking it I had hypomania for 2-3 days then a week after that I went into a mix episode that last 4 days and I missed a day of work because of it. A month goes by before I see the Dr. explained what happened. He then changed my medication again which doesn't seem too weird after reading so many posts online. Anyway I have been on 2 mg Klonopin at night and 25 mg Clozapine with .25 mg of Xanax 3-4 times daily.

So far this last cocktail of medication has worked well since I am terrified of mania/mixed episodes and I have not had any episode of either since the end of September; however, I do feel in the last week a bit depressed and over sleeping. I am terrified about asking the doctor about another antidepressant because I don’t wish to have an episode of hypo/mania. I was reading about Lamictal used as a mood stabilizer and works week with Clozapine. I am also wondering why my doctor would prescribe schizophrenic medication for someone he believed only had uni-polar and not bipolar. Especially since I have cycled more than 4 times in this year alone never counted any other years before now.

I am sorry for such a long post if anyone read it and could tell me what they think I should do or ask at me next appoint would be very helpful.

[jacky8807]

Yikes clozapine before even tryING lamictal???
Big red flag!

First off, hi! And welcome to PC!
Secondly, what!?!?! OGG, I hate it when they ignore the patient and symptoms and just start dishing out the meds. I'm sorry that this is how it went, I went through the same. You just don't give anti-d plain to a bipolar affected person.

For those more prone to mania, lithium is more the drug of choice. Lamictal is geared to the depression prone, but it's not uncommon to be prescribed both.

I hope you get to feeling better sweety!

Gosh, you need a mood stabilizer. Those antidepressants alone sent me into a mixed episode with psychosis. I'd been misdiagnosed with major depression at first.

Welcome to PC.

[CopperStar]

Honestly sounds like your psychiatrist doesn't know what he's doing. It's pretty ridiculous that your mixed/mania symptoms got worse on an anti-depressant, which is a major indicator of bipolar disorder, and he just gave you more anti-depressants and told you that mixed/manic symptoms were a normal effect of anti-depressants. I mean seriously it sounds like he doesn't have a clue what he is doing. If you are able, I would advise finding a new psychiatrist.

[headlesspiderman]

For those of you who are responding thank you for taking the time to read my long post. My Psych doctor put me on 25 mg of clozapine and from what I have read here online you are supposed to get a weekly blood test for white cell count. I have been on this medication going on 2 months and I have not been told or asked to take even a blood test yet. In all honesty this medication has been the most effective one in the line of medications so far given to me to take.
However, right now I have begun to feel depressed and I don’t wish to take another antidepressant if it might cause me to go into hypo/mania or have a mixed episode. I hate going into insomnia mode where I don’t sleep or sleep less than 3 hours a day. I think that is why the doctor chose clozapine as the doctor had already given me Ativan and Ambien neither of which worked. Yes, rainyday psychosis is also what happens to me after not sleeping which is why I believe the Clozapine has had such a good impact. Now if I can get something for depression that doesn’t send me into zany moods then I will be great.

Again thank for reading and providing information.